Glycoprotein isolated from Solanum nigrum L. inhibits the DNA-binding activities of NF-kappaB and AP-1, and increases the production of nitric oxide in TPA-stimulated MCF-7 cells.

Solanum nigrum L. (SNL) has been used in traditional folk medicine to treat numerous cancers. We isolated a glycoprotein (150 kDa) from SNL and tested its effect on the modulation of transcriptional factors (NF-kappa B and AP-1) and iNO production in TPA induced-MCF-7 cells, which are part of the human breast cancer cell line, without estrogen receptors. However, the mechanism of SNL glycoprotein in pharmacological and biochemical actions in cancer cells has not been studied. To test the effect of SNL glycoprotein on the DNA-binding activities of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1), and nitric oxide (NO) production, these experiments were carried out using electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), western blot analysis, and the Griess method. Results in this experiment showed that SNL glycoprotein inhibits 12-O-Tetra decanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA; 100 nM)-induced DNA-binding activities of NF-kappaB and AP-1, and enhances NO production in MCF-7 cells. That is, our results indicated that SNL glycoprotein has the capacity to modulate the TPA-induced DNA-binding activities of transcription factors and NO production, which play a critical role with respect to cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells. Therefore, SNL glycoprotein might be one of the agents that blocks TPA-mediated signal responses in tumor cells.